1. Change of Elements - Two such names do not conflict if each of them contains a descriptive element significantly different from every descriptive element in the other.

   House Saint Mary, Saint Mary Herald, and the College of Sainte Marie all conflict with one another because their descriptive elements are equivalent; House, Herald, and College of, being designators, are not descriptive elements. The House of the Red Dolphin does not conflict with the House of the Blue Dolphin or the House of the Red Lion. The Order of the White Scarf of Ansteorra conflicts with the Order of the White Scarf of Atenveldt because Ansteorra and Atenveldt are not descriptive elements as defined above in clause 2.a.

2. Change of Order or Grammar - Two such names containing equivalent descriptive elements do not conflict if either the order of the elements or the grammatical structure of the name has changed in a way that significantly changes the meaning of the name as a whole.

   The Order of the Sword and the Tower conflicts with the Order of the Tower and the Sword because the change in order does not significantly change the meaning of the name. Similarly, the Order of the Guardians of the Castle conflicts with the Order of the Castle's Guardians. The Order of the Castle of the Guardians does not conflict the Order of the Guardians of the Castle because the change in order significantly changes the meaning; it does not conflict with the Order of the Castle's Guardians because the change in grammatical structure significatly changes the meaning.

The addition of one or more modifiers to an unmodified noun is a significant change, so Black Lion Herald does not conflict with Lyon King of Arms. The Order of the Black Rampant Lion conflicts with the Black Lion Herald, however, since Rampant is added to an already modified noun. (Adding further modifiers to an already modified noun is not a significant change because it is generally not good period style.) The Order of the Black Lion's Heart does not conflict with the Black Lion Herald since the added element, Heart, is not a modifier. Similarly, the Order of the Tower and the Sword does not conflict with the Order of the Sword.

PART VI - PRESUMPTUOUS NAMES

1. Names Claiming Rank - Names containing titles, territorial claims, or allusions to rank are considered presumptuous.

   Titles like Earl and Duke generally may not be used as Society names, even if the title is the submitter's legal name. Names documented to have been used in period may be used, even if they were derived from titles, provided there is no suggestion of territorial claim or explicit assertion of rank. For example, Regina the Laundress is acceptable but Regina of Germany is not. Claim to membership in a uniquely royal family is also considered presumptuous, although use of some dynastic surnames do not necessarily claim royal rank. For example, there was a Scottish dynasty named Stewart, but there were also many other Stewart families so use of that surname does not link one unmistakably to the royal house. Hohenstaufen, on the other hand, seems to have only been used by the line of Holy Roman Emperors, so its use makes a clear dynastic claim. In some cases, use of an otherwise inoffensive occupational surname in a territorial context may make it appear to be a title or rank, such as John the Bard of Armagh or Peter Abbot of St. Giles.

2. Names Claiming Powers - Names containing elements that allude to powers that the submitter does not possess are considered presumptuous.

   Society names may not claim divine descent, superhuman abilities, or other powers that the submitter does not actually possess. Such claims include divine patronymics, like Vulcanson; epithets peculiarly associated with divinities or superhuman beings, such as of the Valkyrie; given names that were never used by humans, like the names of some Giants or Dwarves in Norse mythology; or descriptive epithets like Worldblaster.

3. Names Claiming Specific Relationships - Names that unmistakably imply identity with or close relationship to a protected person or literary character will generally not be registered.

   Explicit claims to descend from a particular person, such as Edwin fitzWilliam Marshall or Rhys ap Cariadoc of the Bow will not be registered. (The latter could be registered with a letter of permission from Cariadoc of the Bow.) However, since there are many people named William and Cariadoc, Edwin fitzWilliam or Rhys ap Cariadoc would not conflict by themselves. In some cases a unique name, surname, or epithet is so closely related to an individual that its use alone can imply relationship to that individual. There is only one family that uses the name Baggins of Bag End, so Joan Baggins of Bag End would not be appropriate.

4. Other Presumptuous Names - Some names not otherwise forbidden by these rules are nevertheless too evocative of widely known and revered protected items to be registered.

   Such items include the peerage orders of the Society and such well-known items outside the Society as the Order of the Garter. The House of the Rose and Laurel does not conflict with the Order of the Rose or the Order of the Laurel, but it is too evocative of both to be registered. Similarly, the Award of the Blue Garter is too evocative of the Order of the Garter, whose badge is a blue garter.

j. Changes to Charges on Charges - Changes to a group of charges placed entirely on other charges may create one clear difference.

No more than one clear difference can be obtained from changes to the same group of charges on other charges.

1. Making two or more visually significant changes to the same group of charges placed entirely on other charges is one clear difference.

   Changes of type, number, tincture, posture, or independent changes of arrangement may each count as one ot the two changes. Generally such changes must affect the whole group of charges to be considered visually significant, since the size of these elements and their visual impact are considerably diminished. For example, Sable, two mullets and a fleam argent and on a chief Or three mullets gules would not have a clear difference from Sable, two mullets and a fleam argent and on a chief Or a mullet between two lozenges vert.

2. In simple cases substantially changing the type of all of a group of identical charges placed entirely on other charges is one clear difference. Only the new submission is required to be a simple case in order to benefit from the following clauses.

   Simple cases are defined by the following clauses. The word charge refers both to charged and to uncharged charges unless it is specifically qualified; a group of charges may contain one or more charges. A charge is suitable for the purposes of this rule if (a) it it simple enough in outline to be voided, and (b) it is correctly drawn with an interior substantial enough to display easily recognizable charges.

   (a) Armory that has a group of identical charges on an ordinary or other suitable charge alone on the field is a simple case.
   Sable, on a pale argent three lozenges sable has one clear difference from Sable, on a pale argent three ravens sable. Or, on a heart vert a pheon argent has one clear difference from Or, on a heart vert a cross moline argent. Argent, a lion rampant gules charged with a cross crosslet Or does not have a clear difference from Argent, a lion rampant gules charged with a heart Or because the lion is too complex in outline to be voided. Gules, on a mullet of six points Or a cross crosslet sable does not have a clear difference from Gules, on a mullet of six points Or a pellet because the interior of a correctly drawn mullet of six points is too small.

   (b) Armory that has a group of identical charges on an ordinary or other suitable charge that is accompanied only by a single uncharged group of identical charges lying entirely on the field is a simple case.
   Argent, on a fess azure between two pine trees vert a spear argent has one clear difference from Argent, on a fess azure between two pine trees vert a rose argent. Azure, on a bezant a tree azure all within a bordure argent has one clear difference from Azure, on a bezant a bear statant azure all within a bordure argent. Gules, on a bezant a tree azure within an orle of martlets argent has one clear difference from Gules, on a bezant a bear statant azure within an orle of martlets argent. Or, on a chevron between two millrinds and a lion passant gardant sable three escallops argent has no clear difference from Or, on a chevron between two millrinds and a lion passant gardant sable three crosses crosslet argent because the charges accompanying the chevron are not identical. For the same reason Azure billety Or, on a fess between three owls argent a sword azure has no clear difference from Azure billety Or, on a fess between three owls argent a rose azure.

   (c) Armory that has an uncharged primary charge group and a peripheral ordinary charged with a group of identical charges is a simple case.
   For the purposes of this clause the peripheral ordinaries are the chief, the bordure, the base (including the point pointed), the canton, and flaunches. Argent, two escallops and a gauntlet and on a chief gules three fleurs-de-lis argent has one clear difference from Argent, two escallops and a gauntlet and on a chief gules three crosses crosslet argent. As a new submission Argent, a lion rampant and on a chief gules three fleurs-de-lis argent does not conflict with Argent, a lion rampant between three mullets and on a chief gules three crosses crosslet argent even though the latter is not a simple case. The new armory is a simple case, so there is one clear difference for substantially changing the type of the tertiary charges; the second is for removing the mullets (see RfS X.4.b). If, however, the second armory were new and the first already registered, the second armory would conflict with the first; the new armory not being simple, there would be just one clear difference for adding the mullets.

   (d) Armory that has a group of identical charges on a peripheral ordinary alone on the field is a simple case.
   For the purposes of this clause the peripheral ordinaries are the chief, the bordure, the base (including the point pointed), the canton, and flaunches. Gyronny Or and gules, a bordure engrailed sable semy of towers argent has one clear difference from Gyronny Or and gules, a bordure engrailed sable semy of mascles argent. Vair, flaunches gules each charged with an arrow argent has one clear difference from Vair, flaunches gules each charged with a cross crosslet argent. Gules, on a chief Or a mascle between two roundels sable is not a simple case because the charges on the chief are not identical; as a new submission it therefore does not have a clear difference from Gules, on a chief or three mullets sable, even though the latter is a simple case.

General Procedures for Submissions, Section D, is modified to read as follows:

D. Payment of Fees - No submission shall be considered to have been made until all fees associated with the submission have been paid. Such fees are set by kingdom law and policy as required to cover the costs of processing submissions. However, no fee may be charged for appeals, change of holding name, submission of alternate forms for standard titles or designations, corrections of spelling or blazon or resubmissions made within a year of the most recent notification of return. The Laurel Office currently charges no fee for resubmissions, but kingdoms may charge appropriate fees for resubmissions not made in a timely manner after appropriate advance notification of this policy in the kingdom newsletter or by individual letters to submitters.

4. Payment of Laurel Office Fees - Each packet must include a cheque or money order covering the processing fees for each submission element presented to the Laurel Office which requires a fee (see the section on Payment of Fees above). Checks should be made out to the SOCIETY FOR CREATIVE ANACHRONISM - COLLEGE OF ARMS. (Note: this fee is currently three dollars per element for all submissions, including official submissions at kingdom level and below.)

1. Commenting Members of the College of Arms - Members of the College of Arms engaged actively in the commentary process are referred to collectively as the mailing list. Such members shall generally include:
   1. Laurel Sovereign of Arms.

   2. Laurel Staff Commenters appointed by the Laurel Sovereign of Arms.

   3. Principal Heralds.

   4. Submissions Heralds, nominated by the Principal Herald of their kingdom of residence and ratified by the Laurel Sovereign of Arms, of kingdoms where the Principal Herald has delegated issuance of letters of intent to another.

   5. Other Commenters nominated by the Principal Herald of their kingdom of residence and ratified by the Laurel Sovereign of Arms.

2. Regularity of Comment - Commenters other than Principal Heralds or their duly confirmed submissions deputies who do not participate actively in College of Arms commentary on a regular basis will be subject to removal from the mailing list. Any or all of the following may be construed as lack of active participation.
   1. Failure to Comment. Failure to comment for three successive Laurel meetings shall result in automatic removal from the mailing list. At Laurel's discretion, extensions for commentary may be granted in case of illness or personal catastrophe.

   2. Persistently Sporadic or Incomplete Commentary. Individuals persistently commenting only one month in three or regularly offering only scanty comments on only one or two letters per Laurel meeting may be considered to have failed in active participation in the College of Arms.

   3. Persistent Breach of General Commenting Requirements. Failure to abide by the requirements for format and distribution of commentary may be construed failure to comment actively. In particular, commenter who regularly sent commentary only to Laurel and no other member of the College will be considered to have failed to meet requirements for active participation.

1. Four Month Commenting Period - When a valid letter of intent and packet are received in a timely manner, the letter of intent shall be scheduled for the fourth month following the month in which the letter is dated (e.g., a letter dated in January will be considered in May).

6. Rules Changes - Any proposed changes to the actual wording of the rules governing the content and form of submissions must be published for comment in the cover letter to the letter of acceptances and returns or in an LoI prepared by a designated Laurel Staff member. No action may be taken on the proposed changes until after adequate time for commentary (normally 3-4 months or more) following the publication of the proposal. If adopted, the change must then be published in full in the cover letter together with any information needed for its implementation.

2. Ordinary Subscribers - Any member of the Society who does not qualify as an Ex Officio Subscriber may become an Ordinary Subscriber upon payment of the appropriate fee to the Laurel Office. Subscription fees shall be based on the cost of publication, including printing and postage. Checks for subscription should be made out to the SOCIETY FOR CREATIVE ANACHRONISM - COLLEGE OF ARMS. (Note: this fee is currently twenty-five dollars a year.)

Chesshyre and Woodcock, The Dictionary of British Arms, Volume I [the "new Papworth"]

d'Ormonde, Herveus, Combined Ordinary of various small ordinaries

d'Ormonde, Herveus, Combined Ordinary of various small ordinaries, Volume II

Fox-Davies, A.C., Heraldic Badges

Hawley, W.M. and Chappelear, Kei, Mon: The Japanese Family Crest

MacDermot, Alison, Public Heraldry: An Ordinary of the Civic and Corporate Heraldry of England, Scotland, and Wales

Reed of Robertland, David. An Ordinary of Arms, Volume II (1902-1973) [Lyon II]

Renesse

Rietstap, J.-B., Armorial Général

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